The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Otago & Southland Provincial Districts]
Patearoa
Patearoa , formerly known as Sowburn, on the Maniototo Plain, is eight miles from Waipiata—a station on the Otago Central railway. The farms in the surrounding district are comparatively small, and are devoted to agriculture and dairying. Gold mining is also carried on to some extent, and there is a hydraulic sluicing claim at work. The township has a post and telegraph office, a school, a hotel, and a public hall—formerly used as a “Union” church. There is also a Presbyterian church, with a resident minister.